Plumbing fixtures



March 1, 1965 L. A. WOLLMERSHAUSER 3,237,863

PLUMBING FIXTURES Filed Jan. 28, 1964 64 I I 6 f gF1 .6

INVENTOR. LLOYD 4. WOLLME/25H4d5E/2 IIIIIIIIIIII United States Patent 3,237,863 PLUMBING FIXTURES Lloyd Andrew Wollmershauser, Middlehurg Heights, Ohio (23881 David Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio) Filed Jan. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 340,661 Claims. (Cl. 239-25) This invention relates to plumbing fixtures and more particularly to a plumbing fixture having in combination a faucet and a drinking fountain.

Priorly, numerous forms of drinking fountains have been employed in combinations with faucets in which the faucet and the drinking fountain operate independently of each other. In other words, the structures employ separate valves and usually require that one valve be turned off when the other is turned on in order to have suflicient pressure to deliver fluid through the selected outlet.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to combine a faucet and a drinking fountain in such a manner that the drinking fountain can be selectively turned on and off while the water is flowing through the faucet spout.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drinking fountain which can be combined with an existing faucet in a very simple and easy manner.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide in a fixture a combination faucet and drinking fountain which can be integrally formed in the faucet spout and in which fixture provision is made for draining water delivered to the drinking fountain and not consumed.

These and various other objects and features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the major portion of one illustrative embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG- URE l with portions omitted for clarity;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a smaller fragmentary section, as compared to the showing in FIGURE 3 and showing the manually operated valve core in a drain position as compared to FIGURE 3 which shows the manually operatable valve core in a position for drinking from the fountain;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view in elevation, partly in section, of another illustrative embodiment of this invention in which the drinking fountain and faucet are adaptable; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawing, the preferred embodiment is shown in FIGURES 1 thru 4 which embodiment will be referred to as the integral embodiment in which the drinking fountain head is an integral portion of the faucet spout. The faucet includes a main body 10 and an integral spout 11 which, in this particular instance, forms a right angle. On the lower portion of the faucet spout 11 an aerator type discharge port 12 is threadably engaged in a manner well known in the art for the purpose of aerating the water, as it is dispensed which arrangement is often employed in kitchen sinks and wash basins. The faucet body 10 includes an inlet conduit 13 formed integrally with the body 10 and adapted to be connected to a suitable force of pressurized liquid. The faucet body 10 also includes a valve, not shown, which is opened and closed by rotation of the handle H in a manner well known in the art. The spout 11 includes a spout passage 19 which is in continuous communication with the discharge port aerator 12 and faucet body 10. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 a mouth-piece 14 is 3,237,863 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 threadably engaged at the top of the faucet body 10 and communicates with a cylindrical, vertical passage 15 which in turn communicates with a horizontal fluid passage 16. The fluid passage 16 terminates in a port 18 facing upstream relative to the flow in faucet spout 11, as indicated by the flow indicating arrows adjacent the port 13. A manually operable rotary cylindrical valve member 20 controls the flow of fluid along the passage 16. Valve 20 is controlled by a manually operarable control knob 22, in a manner which will be subsequently described in detail. The faucet spout 11 is provided with a plug 23 on the end thereof, which plug is in axial alignment with the fluid passage 16. The hole in which plug 23 rests is drilled out for the purpose of permitting the fluid passage 16 to be drilled.

Advantageously, the faucet spout 11 is provided with a drain passage 24 which terminates in an inlet port adjacent the rotary valve 20 for the purpose of permitting Water delivered into the cylindrical bore 15 and not discharged to be drained to the exterior of the faucet in a manner which will be subsequently described in detail. FIG- URE 3 shows the rotary valve 20 as having a T-shaped passage therein, the cross-bar of the T is passage 26, which permits fluid flow from the inlet port 18 through the passage 16 into the cylindrical bore 15. The water then flows vertically from the passage 17 in the mouth-piece 14 so that the water can be consumed as it is discharged from the mouth-piece 14. The T-shaped passage includes a passage 27, shown in a vertical position in FIGURE 3, with its port facing a cylindrical wall on the interior of the valve bore. The rotary valve body 20 is held in the spout 11 by means of a lock nut 28, which look nut also holds a gasket 29 against the spout 11 to provide a fluid seal. The lock nut 28 engages a cylindrical collar 30 on the valve body 20 such that the valve 20 may be rotated relative to the faucet body and the lock nut 28, but cannot be translated axially relative thereto. The fountain control handle 22 is mounted on the end of the valve body 20 and is secured thereto against relative rotation by means of a handle mounting screw 32.

The positional relationship of the handle or knob 22 relative to the locking unit 28 is controlled by a spring 33. The spring 33 is a relatively short helical spring with axially projecting terminals 34 and 35. The axially projecting terminal portion 34 rests in a suitable recess in lock nut 28 while the terminal portion 35 rests in a suitable recess in the handle or knob 22. The spring 33 tends to rotate the valve body 20 to the position shown in FIGURE 4 in which the passage 27 is in communication with the right-hand portion of the passage 16 and the passage 26 is in communication with the drain passage 24. Under these conditions any water in the cylindrical bore 15 will tend to drain through the passage 16, the passages 27 and 26 of the valve body and out the drain outlet 24.

When the handle is manually rotated for the purpose of drinking from the fountain, the valve body is rotated to the position shown in FIGURE 3 in which fluid interrupted by the inlet port 18 passes through the passage 26 in the valve body, the passage 16 in the faucet body into the bore 15 and out the discharge outlet 17 in the mouth-piece 14. This, of course, is accomplished by the kinetic energy of the fluid interrupted by port 18 while the remainder of the fluid is flowing through the spout 11 and from the aerator 12.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are fragmentary views, partly in section, of an alternative embodiment of this invention which can be formed by modifying any convenient tap and faucet presently being employed to dispense fluids and on which a drinking fountain is desired. The embodiment of FIGURE 5 includes a faucet spout with a fluid passage 41 and on which faucet spout a cylindrical section 42 is threadably engaged. The lower end of the cylindrical section 42 is threaded at 43 to receive a bushing 44 carrying a screen or an aerator in a manner well known in the art. Mounted in the cylindrical section 42 is an elbow 46 which includes a cylindrical portion 47 projecting diametrically across the fluid passage 41 in the cylindrical section 42 and having an inlet port 48 therein, positioned in a manner to face upstream relative to the flow of fluid in the passage 41. A core 50 is rotatably mounted in the cylindrical section 47 and includes an axially extending passage 52 communicating with an inlet port 53 radially extending through the core 50 and positioned to align with the inlet port 48. The opposite end of axial passage 52 communicates with a cylindrical bore 55 in the elbow 46 and the cylindrical bore 55 communicates with a fountain mouth-piece 60 through a short coupling section 62 which threadably engages the elbow 46 and the mouth-piece 60.

The core 50 includes a radially extending passage 64 communicating with the axially extending passage 52 and positioned to be aligned with a drain passage 65 in the elbow 46 upon rotation of the core 50 through 90, which rotation normally takes place after the drinking fountain has been restored to its normal or quiescent position. This restoration or return of the core 50 to its normal position takes place through the cooperation of the nut 66, spring 70 and the handle 68 in a manner well identical to that described in conjunction with the embodiment of FIGURES 1 thru 4.

From the foregoing explanation, it is apparent that the fountain of this invention utilizes the kinetic energy of the flowing fluid to discharge a portion of the fluid flowing through a passage to a mouth-piece. The portion is obtained by positioning the fountain inlet port in the path of and facing upstream relative to the floW of fluid toward the faucet spout discharge port.

While I have shown and described two illustrative embodiments of this invention it is understood that the concepts thereof could be employed in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a plumbing fixture comprising a faucet and a drinking fountain the combination comprising:

a faucet body having a valve therein and an inlet port to be connected to a source of pressurized liquid,

a faucet spout having a discharge port and a spout passage, in continuous communication with said body and said discharge port to receive fluid and to discharge at least a portion of said fluid through said discharge port at all times when said valve is open,

a fountain discharge port,

fountain fluid passage means coupling said fountain discharge port to said spout passage including inlet port means positioned within said spout in the path of fluid flow through said spout passage for receiving a fraction of the fluid flowing through said spout passage from said faucet body to said discharge port; and

valve means coupled to said inlet port means for selectively controlling the flow of said fraction of fluid flow to said fountain discharge port.

2. The combination according to claim 1 further including drain passage means communicating with said valve means, said valve means including means for connecting said drain passage -means to said fountain discharge port when said valve means terminates the flow from said fountain inlet port to said fountain discharge port.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said valve means includes a valve member rotatably mounted in said faucet spout, handle means coupled to said valve member and spring means coupled to said faucet spout and said handle means for maintaining said valve member in an off position.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said fluid passage means includes a pipe projecting into the interior of said spout passage, said inlet port means including an opening on the upstream side of said pipe relative to the flow of liquid through said spout passage, said pipe eflectively reducing the cross-section of said spout downstream relative to said opening in said pipe.

5. In a drinking fountain, the combination comprising:

a main faucet body having a faucet valve therein, a

fluid passage therethrough and means for connecting said body to a fluid source;

a spout means coupled to said body and having a spout discharge port and a spout passage in continuous communication with said discharge port and said faucet body;

an elbow including a tubular portion mounted in said spout means and projecting into said spout passage and having a fluid passage therein including a port facing upstream relative to the fluid flow in said spout passage,

mouth-piece means coupled to elbow means and in communication with said tubular portion fluid passage, and

a tubular core rotatably mounted in said elbow means and having :an axially-extending passage and a connecting radially extending passage therein whereby rotation of said core relative to said elbow controls the flow of fluid from said port to said mouth-piece means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,032,142 7/1912 Johnsen 23932 1,044,648 11/1912 Hamrick -1 23925 1,072,124 9/1913 Kells 239-26 1,075,483 10/1913 Lindgrew 239-25 1,240,260 9/1917 Rudolph 23925 1,555,618 9/1925 Aselin 239-25 2,040,391 5/1936 Maguire 23925 2,474,286 6/1949 Snyder 23925 3,079,088 2/1963 Hermann et a1. 23925 3,101,900 8/1963 Slater 23925 3,108,748 10/1963 Fiore 23925 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, M. HENSON WOOD, IR.,

Examiners. R, S. STROBEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A PLUMBING FIXTURE COMPRISING A FAUCET AND A DRINKING FOUNTAIN THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A FAUCET BODY HAVING A VALVE THEREIN AND AN INLET PORT TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED LIQUID, A FAUCET SPOUT HAVING A DISCHARGE PORT AND A SPOUT PASSAGE, IN CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION WITH SAID BODY AND SAID DISCHARGE PORT TO RECEIVE FLUID AND TO DISCHARGE AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID FLUID THROUGH SAID DISCHARGE PORT AT ALL TIMES WHEN SAID VALVE IS OPEN, A FOUNTAIN DISCHARGE PORT, FOUNTAIN FLUID PASSAGE MEANS COUPLING SAID FOUNTAIN DISCHARGE PORT TO SAID SPOUT PASSAGE INCLUDING INLET PORT MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID SPOUT IN THE PATH 